Shoe-stretcher.



E. M. WHITNEY.

SHOE STRETOHER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1911.

1,083,576, Patented Jan.6, 1914.

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ERNEST M. WHITNEY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

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Application filed December 21, 1911.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNEST M. WVHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe stretchers and has for its object to provide a simple, practical and very powerful device with a positive motion for stretching shoes in the direction of their length, said device having means whereby it may be locked automatically in its extended position.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the length of the connector joining the heel and toe members may be adjusted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide graduations in said connector whereby the operating size of the device may be readily determined.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1- is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating my stretching device in extended position and applied to a shoe, the latter being indicated in dotted lines. Fig.

-2 is a side elevation of my device in normal or contracted position showing only a portion of the operating handle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of the toe member, also showing an auxiliary member attached thereto for the purpose of widening the toe member to fit shoes of clifferent sizes. Fig. A- is a detail end view showing one of these auxiliary toe members. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a detail of the heel member. Fig. 6 is a per spective view showing the tubular portion of the connect-or. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the bar portion of the connector as adapted to slide in said tube. Fig. 8 shows the two connector members, one as formed of a round tube and the other member formed of a hollow bar.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the heel portion which may be constructed of met-a1 cast into the desired shape to fit into the heel portion of any ordinary shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the same being pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6,1914.

Serial No.- 667,236.

vided with forwardly extending lips 22 between which is pivotally held the lower end 5 of the operating handle 6 on the pin 4. This operating handle is provided near its pivoting end with a laterally extending ear 7 pierced at 8 in which the connector presently described is pivoted. A toe member 9 is also formed preferably of cast metal being cut out from its underside as at 11 and 12 to remove superfluous stock and make it light in weight. The walls 13 and 1A are formed on either side of the center between which the connector bar is pivoted at 10.- This member is preferably made of a size to fit the shoes, and auxiliary pieces 15 having dowel pins 16 are provided whereby said pieces may be readily attached to the main toe member for the purpose of widening or thickening the same to fit shoes of different sizes and shapes.

A connector 17 is provided comprising two parts, a tubular member 18 which may be square or of other suitable shape is formed at 19 at one end to straddle and be pivoted as at 8, see Figs. 1 and 2, to the ear 7 of the operating arm 6. A bar 20, corresponding in shape to the bore of the tube and adapted to slide therein,is pivoted at 21 by means of the pin 10 to the toe member 9. This bar may be provided with a plurality of notches or ratchet shaped teeth 22 on one of its faces whereby when this bar engages the tubular member it may be be locked therein by passing a pin 23 through a hole 24 in the sides of the tube and through any one of the spaces 25 formed by the teeth, whereby the length of this connector may be adjusted to fit shoes of different sizes. I do not wish to be restricted to this particular means shown and described for fastening the members of this connector together, as any locking device for securing the two in any desired relative position may be employed.

Another feature of the invention is that the bar member is graduated on its upper face so that as it is adjusted in its tubular sheath the operative size of the device may be readily determined by causing the outer edge of the tube to register with the desired number on the bar.

I do not wish to be limited in the construc- I adjusting holes 27 through it at close intervals for the reception of a suitable locking pin. The bar member also may be round, if desired, and be provided with a hollow center to reduce the weight of the device. It is also found in practice desirable to form but one hole 29 in this bar member when made in this form and that one near the inner end thereof, so that it will retain its maximum strength throughout its length when called upon to resist the tendency to bend under the powerful action of the toggle joint, the holes being placed in the larger and stronger tubular member, permits the required adjustment and also gives the maximum strength to the connector members to a given weight of metal.

The operation of my improved shoe stretcher may be more particularly described as follows: In applying this device to a shoe to be stretched in the direction of its length the actuating handle is brought, by the hand of the operator, to its normal or upright position, the size of the shoe to be operated upon is then determined and the connector adjusted by means of the graduations and set to the desired length. The device is now placed into the shoe and the handle brought forward nearly to a horizontal position until its under edge 30 rests upon the upper edge 31 at the base of the fork tines 19, which edge forms a stop for the handle. When in this position the pivoting point 8 of the connector is carried just below the center line of effort causing the device to act as a powerful toggle joint to stretch the shoe and at the same time provide a natural and automatic lock to retain the mechanism in its extended position. To again contract the device it is only necessary to raise the handle and with it then remove the stretcher from the shoe. By attaching the auxiliary members 15 to the main toe portion 9 the toe of the shoe may also be widened, as well as stretched in the direction of its length.

The device is extremely simple in construction and powerful in its'action, and by its use a shoe may be stretched as much as desired and made to better fit the foot of the wearer.

I claim.

1. A shoe stretcher comprising a short rigid toe piece, a rigid heel piece, a lever having one end pivoted to said heel piece near the sole of the shoe, the free end of said lever when the stretcher is in use extending out of the shoe, and complemental adjusting members one of which is pivoted to said toe piece near the top wall thereof and at a point adjacent the toe of the shoe, the other adjusting member being pivotally connected to said lever at a point between the ends of the latter, whereby a downward movement of the free end of said lever moves said toe piece forward in a horizontal line to stretch the toe of the shoe.

2. A shoe stretcher comprising a short rigid toe piece provided with integral spaced apart walls, a rigid heel piece provided at its lower end with spaced apart lips near the sole of the shoe, a lever having one end pivotally mounted between said lips, the free end of said lever extending out of the shoe when the stretcher is in use, complemental adjusting members, and means for pivotally connecting one of said adjusting members to the toe piece between the spaced apart walls of the latter near the top wall thereof and at a point adjacent the toe of the shoe, the other adjusting member being pivotally connected to said lever at a point between the ends of the latter, whereby a downward movement of the free end of said lever moves said toe piece forward in a horizontal line to stretch the toe of the shoe, said heel piece being provided with a bifurcated portion to receive the lever when the latter is elevated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST M. WHITNEY.

Witnesses HowARD E. BARLow, E. I. OGDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

